Machine for scaling and grading fish



1",62o,953 AL 'March 15, 1927.

F. H. DAVIS E' MACHINE FDR SCAIgINI AND GRADING FISH Filed pril 50, 1925 sheets-sheet 1 C March i5, 1927. 1,620,953

F. H. DAVIS ET AL MACHINE FOR SCAL'ING AND GRADIG .FISH

Filed April 150, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 t I 'solaire 'f-,ES cargar ferries;-

ritenere, HARLEY DAVIS'ND'JHN W. Klaren, "GMGNTERY, GLIFQNIA; sAI'D` 'heac'lconnectioiis therefor.

apparatus so to. do. i

Patented Mar. 15,1927,

MACHINE "For, SOALIYNGAND fet-Remise Fien.

Application/'filed epm so, 1925. vserial *No1Y 26,974.

` 'Our "invention relates to 'improvementsfin apparatiis for grading and scaling fish, Yand is' particularly' 'applicable for operati-on upon such lfish 'as "the Monterey sardine of commerce, a .i'ish Yaveragingl approximately fr omthree 'quarters of'a'n inch,'fo oneand a half 'iichesin thickness; although 1ty 1s ap'- plicahle to fothegr fish, :and 'as'oiir machine` may 'also besed for the grading ol objects other ythan yfish Wether'efore donot Wishfto berestricte'd to the use'o'f our inachineupon nsh e'Xclslvely.

t Vis to provide` siiitahle drive means 'foi-fthe spraylpipes, and swivel- A still furtherfohffect 'is to arci/'idc "an J- Vl v paratns of seg'inentary construction, fthe;

units 'Whereoi'li'nayh'c read-ily assen'ilo'led or `taken apart. f

Another Object is' the provision of'ccrtain slats jthat can be inserted 0r 4removed 'from the' grader wt-hout having to dismantle 'am vAy .further Vobject is to reduce l"the friction 'of lit'he apparatus against the hearings, and to `provide bearings )that are adapted to resist' the Adowni'ard and outward 'thrust 'of the apparatus.

t 'Y Y @ther objects areto 'ec'liic'e the expense of packing andto producea more uniform and att active product, together Withffirther 'ob fts and adwf'antagesfthat'aiill appear. Y

i Teil/attain these lijecfs by V,theTine(thanism t described in the "sseeieaaen, Sife ferai 'in' 4 .,v the claims and which 1s illustratedinthe ac Figiire 1 "longitudinal Vfelevatie'ai ol the apparatus. 4

Figure?, elevation, A, 4 f

Fre 3, end of apparatus Withstaton'a-ry spur-gear :member removedv anda .plate'cut auf/'ayto expose interior yforms. K

Figiire ,v'erticalsection of the spur-gear member online 2 Zof'Fig. l Figure@ longitudinal section through manifold ,and

, "Siniiil'ai'l` hamer-als thruout theseyeral Views of this invention, which hereinafter, for the ipurpose ofthis Yins'triilfnet is calledthe,v gi'aderlh which, lterm is intended to include loo-th grader and sealer.

lation to the sardine industry,it should The understood that order Ito get Ithe best resalts when packing, the fish should reach the packers as nearly ally of one size* as it ,is pos-1 sible to 'grade them, s0 that vby 4cou-lifting` the fish VWhile they arse vbeing .placed in fthe cans `the contents Vwill 'be near enough 'to 'the ree @nii-ed Weights lfor vall practical purposes.

To comprehend 'this inif'ention and itsf'e-.

designate vsimilar parts Y i Gradedfish are more economrically packed y than Tare Afish vcf Vnor'ixed sizes, Whichlare, freqiie'iitly packed so that the cans, are t-'oo light :or ,too full; cans :packed too full freqiiently cause tronble and breakdowns to the can'-y ning 4 machinery, whereas, kcansfthat are;l

packed too light are iindesirable for 'various` other reasons; iny either `instance the fresult eral, and the brand in particular.

` `Sardinesshould be scaled-before packing. Hitherto theyhaVe-'been scaled inaseparalte scaling machine; it is. more advantageous-to scale and .grade thfe `fishl at one'operation, for the lessv ythe lis'h lis handled, 'consistently Wit-h `eicient results, theuh'etter.-

' reflects 'iniurionsly 4on the inustry ingg'en-l A earthen ,meen fer, ,grading the ash arises from the needs of mechanical lish-y cntting machines'ihichare now'coining into t thevdrawlngs f Fie' 1 Sh@ s a@ Slaaf-ela @estepa c I t el frame-eat 1ers lesen" i:the Sti-.f an .angle-of :19 .to fthe he' Zonta-l, ,rnore or les. seared sa@ 1.11 '5.3, 3a 3b and j ai. Similar beer-1; v,gis onf the @apposite iffane'ej-Q, vone 'ofA which appears lin '2 and- 3. A. AIn 4the said' ing the friction spools 'provided Wtht e lil flanges 6; anti-friction bearings 7 are provided between 6 and 3a, 6 and 3b, and 6 and 3c, as well as theV similar parts on the opposite side of frame 2. Y A

Thebody of the grader?) is banded by the tiies 9, the treads of which engage between the flanges 6 of the'various friction-spools 5 and are carried thereby, the centers of the sa-idspools 5 being of less distance apart than the diameter of the body 8, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. rlhe tires 9 are bolted together so as to be assembled Ior taken apart at the points 9a, as shown.

The said body 8 is built up on the concentric forms 10 and'll as shown in the cutaway portions o-f Fig. 3, the said forms being composed of segmental members. The segments o-f form 10 are secured together by the bolts 13 and are each provided at their ends with the radially-extending spokemembers 17 and with a shoulder portion 16, each providedr further with a transverse bearing member or opening to receive spraypipe 24, provided further with certain pecu-y liar T-shaped openings 19 passing transversely through the segments for the ac-v commodation of the Fig. 6. p

The segments comprising forms 11 are T-bars or slats 19a,

`provided with radially-extending portions 14 having corners to fit into shoulders 16 and are adapted to clamp to the spokes 17 by means of the bolts 1.5, the said form 11 segments being further provided with the lugs Y18 andbolts l21 for securing body 8 thereto,

being provided also with the T-shaped openings 2O which are similar to, but spaced closer 'together than, the T-shaped openings 19Vof form l0.v

In the grader asshown there are four sets of forms as above-described, one in the plane of each tire, but obviously there may be `more of them or less.

With the forms 10 and 11 so located within the grader and having the T-shaped opengrader at three points and revolublein the end of the grader.

y grader, 24"

bearings 24b arc the perforated spray-pipes 24, one in each longitudinal segment of the being preferably located between form 11 and the inner side of grader body 8.

The intake end of the grader is closed -by suitable plate segments 25. Each spray-pipe 24 is provided with a pinion 26 at the intake The said intake end being provided with a cylindrical projecting member 27 upon which is formed theJ circular iiange 28 yat right angles thereto..

A suit-able distance apart from projection 27 and in axial alignment therewith is 'the fixed spur-gear 29 which intermeshes with all three pinions 26, gear 29 being carried in a stationary manner by gearfcase .30, in turn supported by the standards 31 and 31a which pass thru 'the bosses 32-and 3f that are formed on the outer surface of gear-case 30. The said case 30 being'slidable vertically on the said standards affords adjustable regulation between spur-gear 29 and the pinions 26 to compensate for any depression of the intake end of the grader thru wear. VThe said adjustmentbeing effected by means of the set-screws 33.

. Attached to the inner side of case 30 are the cleats 34 which engage behind fiange 28, thus securing steadment for the case 30 while at the same time admitting of smooth rotary movement of the flanged element 28 between the inner surfaces of thecleats 34 and that of the gear-case 30, as shown in Figs. 4 and 2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen. that the grader can be assembled or taken apart very readilyin three major longitudinal'sections by means of the outer bolts 35 and the inner bolts as 13 and 15, which latter, in respect to the two end forms 10 and 11 can vbe reached for manipulation from the outside ends of the grader after lhaving first removed the plate segments 25 from the intake end.

In the case of the two inner forms located transversely at the points Sflaiid 8b, yFig/1, the bolts 15 which secure them can be gotten at by `means of the suitably located doors 36, counterparts of which are located similarly in each longitudinal segment. The bolts 13 howeverniay be reached from the inside of the grader by the removal of a few of 'the adjacentV T-bars 19a. The doors 36 may be hinged in any suitable manneras 37, Fig. 1, and fastened by any appropriate means, as the thumb-sciews 38, or Ithey may be made slidable.

At the outlet end of the grader, which kis considerably lower than the intake end, Fig.

1, shows the protruding ends of the two grading cylinders designated as 19d and 1'9". Y

outer-liebe lt0.is,pr-(wided With` the manifold 43, the duets whereof register and communicate with eaoh ofthe spray-pipes 124. Centrally,zlooated, inthe-duCtalPfoc-usod, and

inl 'axial .l alignment with the Alongitudinal agis of the ,c afadeit` 1s the `vva-ter-swivel lhead f provided with the paokingglands and 46 provided .also with va-,gsuitable detent means as 4.7. registering with groove 48 --t-o Secure correct to 'and ,fro .adjustment "between said d4 and the-openings 49 therein With ,relation to the varions duets 4 3, Swivel-dread' 'ld'beingfadapted for theattachm'entof a Water hose thereto, :preferably a stoutfarmoredhose as 50, being adapted to resist the torque -on lll .of the rotating grader.k V

power isapp'l-ied to drives shaft 4, 4,--Qli'ives-gfricti'onfspools .1 -the .friction surfaces oi' l5 Co;- aeting ,with those of .-9v rotate the grader,

To operatethe grader While the idling spools 50u-shafted assist in :supporting vthe, grader 'and keeping it un said jets cominj'g, ast-hey do, from the space between the inner surface yof the graderl bodyg8`-andthe outer surface of the grad.-` ing cylinder 1,9? upwardly/against the lish, .thereby 'causing them to. assume numberless positions,- and,

' assisted Athe -tumblingaetio-nofy the grader to rub .their Ascales oit and to n'd suitable openings to tall 'thru from one grading cylinder `to another.`

Such action `does no@injury4 to' the fish as tua'llvl` and 'by :presenting suoli numerous 'opportunities for the smaller-,fish to `slip thri1 the comparatively Widely f spaoed rslat-bars oiffg'iadin'g Cylinder;19t1 into :yli-nder 19E,

closer slet-bars lof 19'l into grader body 8, scale them andggrade vthem into groups or'Y even' fsizs Ythe llargestiish emerging from cylinder 19", vine'iliuin-ish from 19b and the smallest fish from` the grader body.

It has been found that T`bars are more vapplicable thanother shapes as the iish- Will either go thru between them, or in case they are too large to pass thru will fall out again WithoutA jamming betvveen the bars, furthersue-h llimita-tions as i VilhatfW-efolann as-new andf-desire to se- From the said closed byplugs24" ]ets thru the perforations A52, Fig. f5. The' impinge from many angles Amoreth'eileg"of the giwesrmorerigidity'to resist :pressure .thanv would ifla'"tr-bars.l f

scribed specifi-eforms-'of our kinvention `We do no t wish to Vbe limited thereto 'ex'eept by lth'e `:claimsl may import.

oureby Letters :Patent is:..

. l. A gradereompri-singfafrevoluble body,

anoontral intake and plurality flot outlets,l

the intake being lhigher fabove the horizontal planev than the outlets, the' said `body fhaving a plurality ot innersegmental forms disi posedfln planesfat right |angles to 2Vthe llonigit-udinal-axis fof fthe body, the vsaid 'body and the AV interior lforms :being adapted vfor assemble-ment and dismemberment yin, longitudinal segmental sections,'substantially as rfdescribed. y if. A revolublegrader,compri-sing 1n oomhin-ation, 4centr-al intake', wa Y plurality Vdt Outlets, sai-d outletsbein'g lower than Vthe in:

versally; .to the longitudinal A4airis of vthe f loo'd'y.` the said body and interior segmental forms Vbegingadfaptedfto be secured-:together or be" takenapart -inlongitudi'nal sections. f l3, lA grader Comprising a vseetio'rial revolfuble iimperforate body; segmental forms 'disposed Itransversally therein 4and having their lines(of.*parting:oo-incident `With the longitudinal partings of lthe grader body, :a

pl-u1'-a-lity7 of fslaytted fgra'dingjelements nested VWit-hin the body and adapted .fto revolve therewith.

412A grader, comprising in "combination,

a vseetibnalj revoluble imperi-Grate body, segmeiita-:l jiorrrrs disposed transversally at nsuitable di-stv s afpaigft, wit-hin the body, the transverse. fj'oirits v-ot the segments being eo.-

incident with the llongitudinaljoints of the body, Aand fa plurality of 1nested rgra ding elements Within 'the fbody, substantially as deseribediand for Vthe purpose :set forth; Y

.5;V In-af grader comprising "a revoluble;`

talee, inner 'segrnentall forms .disposed rvtrans-- sin body --and interior :forms adapted to-revolve: A

therewith, the Vfsaird iQ'rlns vand body fbeing adapted for assemblement or disinember- Vment seetionally and provided With suita'bly-spae'd sflatj-.bars insertable Aand reinova- 'H v6. A revol-uble grade-i7,feoinprisinglin V'oombination, l a sectional body Whose' dnenibers` have longitudinal AJoints, transverse Aforms interiorly disposed, the said 4forrest being segmental-l div'ded `and having Vtheir joints @aproxima-@1; incident `AAivfill fit-belong tudinal joints of the body and the Said forms provided with suitably-spaced grading means, the saidmeans being removable.

Y 7. A Vsec-tional revoluble grader, comprlsing in Combina-tion, a sectional body, seotional i'nterior forms vadapted to part With, the longitudinal partings of the body, in

terior nested grading units, grading openings in the wall of each unit, the said openings being of diminished width as theV units extend outwardly from the central axis of the grader. f

8. In a sectional revoluble grader, transverse internal forms each having a plurality of T-shaped perforations crosswise of the forms, the said perf'orations suitably spaced apart and being adapted to carry T-shaped Slat-bars, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

9.; A sectional revoluble grader, comprising in combination, interior transverse forms -`liaving suitably spaced T-shaped perfora tions crosswise of the forms, and Slat-bars carried thereby, the said bars thus forming slatted walls for a plurality of nested grading elements. y

l10. 4In a tilted revoluble grader having a plurality of grading units one Within the other, spray-pipes adapted to play fluid against the objectsbeing graded, the said fluid playing upwardly against the said objects.

11. A revoluble grader, comprising in combination, a tilted body, nested grading units within the body and a fluid spraymeans carried by the body and adapted to spray fluid from behind the grading units toward the central axis of the grader, subslantially as described.

12. In a tilted revoluble grader, an outer body, a plurality of suitable grading units within the body and within each other, and revoluble spray-means carried by the grader.

13. A tilted revoluble grader having an intake yand outlets, comprising in combination, a pluralityv ofl nested grading units within the body and revoluble spray-means within the body. Y

14. A revoluble grader, spray pipes carried bythe grader and revoluble therein, a

. 'bi'natiom an outer body, inner-grading unitsv transmission member on said pipes, the lsaid member contacting with a fixed member whereby the rotary movement of the grader imparts rotary movement to the said spraypipes.

15. A revoluble grader, comprising in combination, spray-pipes revoluble in the lgrader and Arevolvable therewith, a transmission member on the pipes, .the said member coacting with a iixed member whereby the rotary movement of the grader imparts rotary movement to the said spray-pipes, substantially as described.

16. Aj rotary grader, comprising in comor unit, spray means and drive means to rotate the said spray means.

17. A grader includingv a` hollow body, grading means in said body, spray pipes ex-y tending longitudinally Within the body and mounted for revolution on their axes, a stationary gear mounted at one end of the grader', pinions jiixed on the spray pipes and meshing with the gear, and means to rotate the graderon its axis.

18. A p grader including a hollow body,

grading means in said body, spray pipes ex-` tending longitudinally within the body and Y mounted for revolution on theirv axes, Va sta'- tionary gear mounted at one end of the grader, pinions Fixed on the spray pipes and meshing with the geaigineans to rotate the grader onl its axis, a manifold having a central pipe and branch pipes extending from Vthe central pipe and communicating with the spray pipes, and a supply pipe swiveled to the central pipe. l y

19. In a segmental rotary grader comprising interior yforms and having inaccessible boltmeans, door-means of gaining access to the said bolt-means, substantially as described.

20. In a segmental grader having inaccessible interior fastenments, the combination therewith, of suitable access-doors, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth. v Y

21. In a multiple, segmentary grader liaving nested grading elements therein, rotary spray-pipes and means of rotation therefor, a common intake means of supply for all of the grading elements, separate means of distribution from each grading element and fluid supply means for the said spray pipes.

22. A revoluble grader body, revolublev spray pipes extending longitudinally within thebody, a .cylindrical member projecting centrally from the intake end of the grader, a flange member on the pro]ecting member and at right angles thereto, a stationary gear at one end ofthe grader, `pinions fixed on the spray pipes and meshing with the gear to revolve the spray-pipes, cleats having slid ableA contact between the said iange and the gear, the said cleats being'adapted to afford adjustable regulation. betweenl the `grader and the said gear.

In testimony, that we lclaim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signa` 'Y tures .in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANC-is H. Davis. i JOHN w. KLoiiE. 

